Astronomer: More than a job, a passion

Working late into the night on top of Thailand's highest mountain Doi Inthanon, astronomers scan the sky looking for stars & planets.

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People
ON THE JOB

Stellar ambitions

Technician in charge of Thailand's most advanced telescope is living out his childhood dream
10/05/2012
Peerawat Jariyasombat

If you thought astronomers worked night shifts in total darkness and were a lonely lot, think twice. Somsawat Rattanasoon, 34, a senior technician at the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand, works under conditions far different from what we generally think.

Education

I graduated from the Department of Physics, Chiang Mai University.

Official training

In Thailand, there is nothing such as a Faculty of Astronomy. Astronomy is part of physics. Basic knowledge of physics is needed to understand astronomy, as well as electronics, light, quantum mechanics. I took three courses in astronomy at the start of my job as a technician.

Inspiration

I have loved to look at the stars since I was a kid. I am from rural Si Sa Ket in northeast Thailand where it is pitch dark at night. I was fascinated by their twinkle and beauty. Today I understand what stars are and what phenomenon is at work that make them emit light. Other astronomers may watch stars just as part of their job routine, however, for me I still love to scan the sky at night. Many times, after work that often runs late into the night, on Doi Inthanon, I stop by the road leading home to watch the beautiful sky.

Job description

My job involves maintenance of a cutting-edge telescope equipped with a mirror 2.4 metres in diameter which the National Astronomical Observatory has installed on Doi Inthanon, the country's highest peak, located in Chiang Mai. The installation was completed only a few months ago and the telescope, among the most advanced in Southeast Asia, is now fully operational.

Besides, there are other smaller telescopes that are my responsibility, such as ones in Nakhon Ratchasima and Chachoengsao with mirrors 0.5-metre in diameter, and one with a larger mirror - width 0.6-metre - hooked up with a more powerful telescope based at an observatory in faraway Chile, South America.

From here in Thailand we command the telescope and camera in Chile via an online system. Chile is another side of the world. When in Thailand it is daytime, it is dark there. So we work round the clock, in real time.

Astronomers need not watch the sky with a telescope all night. Via online system, smart software and the Internet, I can sit in front of a monitor and work from anywhere on earth, in Chiang Mai, on the mountains, or from my bedroom.

I set the camera to take pictures, analyse the photometry and chemical composition of stars and so forth.

From October to April when the sky is usually clear, we work all night at the Doi Inthanon observatory, operating the camera. In rainy season, June to September, it is quite difficult to observe the sky through the cloud cover. We stay in town, do research and carry out maintenance of telescopes and other equipment. But there is this one telescope in Songkhla province that, along with the one linked up with the observatory in Chile, are not affected by changes in weather but operate normally, so we end up working all year round.

Career path/payment range

If I land a scholarship, I would want to pursue a career in the field of research. Depending on my competency, I could be promoted and become a chief or director in my chosen field. My salary is around 20,000 baht per month, plus welfare such as medical care, etc.

What is fun about the job? 

I get a chance to see stars, that is I what I love.

Memorable experiences on the job

I have not experienced anything exciting so far. Indeed, stars change very slowly. But someone lucky may have witnessed meteorites hitting the moon with his own eyes. For me, the most exciting thing has been accidentally seeing the odd satellite moving into the viewfinder. The best part of my career so far is the chance I have to watch beautiful stars day and night.

(Source: Bangkok Post, People, ON THE JOB, Stellar ambitions, Technician in charge of Thailand's most advanced telescope is living out his childhood dream, 10/05/2012, Peerawat Jariyasombat, link) 

Astronomy Work Vocabulary

star - a very large ball of gas in outer space, that appears as a small bright light in the sky at night (See Wikipedia)
stellar (adjective)

planet - a very large round object that moves around the sun or another star, our planet is called "earth" (See Wikipedia)
outer space - the whole of the universe outside the earth and the earth's atmosphere (See Wikipedia)
universe - จักรวาล

astronomy - the study of the stars, planets and outer space, by using telescopes (See Wikipedia and Wikipedia Astronomy Portal and WikiBook)
astronomical (adjective)
astronomer - a scientist who studies the stars (an expert in astronomy)
National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand - (See Wikipedia)

ambitions - the things you want to do in life, the goals you wish to achieve
stellar ambitions

telescope - an instrument used to look into outer space and see stars and planets (See Wikipedia)
cutting-edge - using the newest technology
cutting-edge telescope

diameter - the length of a straight line that crosses a circle through the centre เส้นผ่านศูนย์กลาง
a telescope equipped with a mirror 2.4 metres in diameter

observatory - astronomical observatory, a building with a telescope that astronomers use to study stars and planets
Doi Inthanon observatory - the most important observatory in Thailand, located on the mountain Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai
National Astronomical Observatory - Same as "Doi Inthanon observatory"

Doi Inthanon - the highest mountain in Thailand, located in Chiang Mai Province ดอยอินทนนท์ (See Wikipedia)
peak - mountain
Doi Inthanon, the country's highest peak, located in Chiang Mai

on the job - at your workplace working

technician - a worker who does skilled practical work with scientific equipment
senior technician - a technician who has advanced to a higher position in an organization (with a lot of work experience)

in charge of - managing in an organization, in control of 
childhood dream - as a child something they dreamed of doing after they became an adult 

technician in charge of Thailand's most advanced telescope is living out his childhood dream

night shift - the period of time when people who work at night in an orgnization work (example: in a factory)
were a lonely lot - were a lonely group of people

think twice - it is not what you expect (so think twice, get  ready for something different)
conditions - the situation

If you thought astronomers worked night shifts in total darkness and were a lonely lot, think twice. Somsawat Rattanasoon, 34, a senior technician at the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand, works under conditions far different from what we generally think.

training - to teach people how to do an activity or job การฝึกฝน
official training - the training that your organization gives you "officially" to prepare you to do your job

faculty - a department in a university that teaches some subject
Faculty of Astronomy - the department in a university that teaches the subject of astronomy

physics - (See Wikipedia)
quantum mechanics - (See Wikipedia)

I graduated from the Department of Physics, Chiang Mai University. In Thailand, there is nothing such as a Faculty of Astronomy. Astronomy is part of physics. Basic knowledge of physics is needed to understand astronomy, as well as electronics, light, quantum mechanics. I took three courses in astronomy at the start of my job as a technician.

inspiration - something that makes you excited to do an activity (gives you energy to try hard and continue doing it)
rural - in the countryside (farms, forests), not the city  ในชนบท, บ้านนอก

pitch dark - very dark (cannot see anything)
twinkle - when light goes on and off, like the light coming out of a star

emit - to send something out into the air
emit light - when light comes out of something

fascinated - very very interested in something
phenomenon - something that exists and can be seen, felt, tasted, etc., especially something which is unusual or interesting ปรากฏการณ์

routine - things that you normally do everyday; the usual series of tasks that are done as part or a job or work กิจวัตร
job routine - the things you normall do at your job everyday (job tasks)

scan - look across some area with your eyes
scan the sky - look across the sky

I have loved to look at the stars since I was a kid. I am from rural Si Sa Ket in northeast Thailand where it is pitch dark at night. I was fascinated by their twinkle and beauty. Today I understand what stars are and what phenomenon is at work that make them emit light. Other astronomers may watch stars just as part of their job routine, however, for me I still love to scan the sky at night. Many times, after work that often runs late into the night, on Doi Inthanon, I stop by the road leading home to watch the beautiful sky.

job description - the details of what a person does in a job (used in job advertisements to fill open positions in a company)
maintenance - the act of keeping something in good condition by checking or repairing it regularly การซ่อมบำรุง
install - put a piece of equipment or machine in a place (and prepare it to operate and run)

operational - working; able to be used ที่สามารถใช้งานได้
full (adjective)
fully (adverb) - completely, 100%
fully operational - machine now working and doing its job
is now fully operational

My job involves maintenance of a cutting-edge telescope equipped with a mirror 2.4 metres in diameter which the National Astronomical Observatory has installed on Doi Inthanon, the country's highest peak, located in Chiang Mai. The installation was completed only a few months ago and the telescope, among the most advanced in Southeast Asia, is now fully operational.

responsibility - 1. being blamed for something that goes wrong, 2. having to take care of some task as part of your job
width - the distance across something from one side to the other ความกว้าง
hooked up - connected

Besides, there are other smaller telescopes that are my responsibility, such as ones in Nakhon Ratchasima and Chachoengsao with mirrors 0.5-metre in diameter, and one with a larger mirror - width 0.6-metre - hooked up with a more powerful telescope based at an observatory in faraway Chile, South America.

command - to control an electronic device
online - connected to the internet
online system
work around the clock - work 24 hours a day
in real time - see something as it happens (not recorded on video and played back)

From here in Thailand we command the telescope and camera in Chile via an online system. Chile is another side of the world. When in Thailand it is daytime, it is dark there. So we work round the clock, in real time.

monitor - a computer monitor

Astronomers need not watch the sky with a telescope all night. Via online system, smart software and the Internet, I can sit in front of a monitor and work from anywhere on earth, in Chiang Mai, on the mountains, or from my bedroom.

photometry - (See Wikipedia)
composition - the way that something is formed form separate parts of people การรวมตัวกัน การประกอบเข้าด้วยกัน
chemical composition - all the chemicals in a substance or material

I set the camera to take pictures, analyse the photometry and chemical composition of stars and so forth.

clear - can see (nothing in the air to stop you from seeing)
clear sky - can see the sky
observe - to watch or study someone or something with care สังเกตการณ์
observe the sky - look at the sky (and see what happens)
cloud - the big white things floating in sky that carry water vapor เมฆ
cloud cover - the clouds that cover the sky (and make seeing the stars difficult)
observe the sky through the cloud cover
maintain (verb)
maintenance - repairing a machine and keeping it working (so it does not break and you cannot use it anymore)
carry out maintenance - do maintenance activities
linked - connected เชื่อมโยง เกี่ยวกับ
linked up with
linked up with the observatory in Chile - connected by the internet to the big telescope in Chili

From October to April when the sky is usually clear, we work all night at the Doi Inthanon observatory, operating the camera. In rainy season, June to September, it is quite difficult to observe the sky through the cloud cover. We stay in town, do research and carry out maintenance of telescopes and other equipment. But there is this one telescope in Songkhla province that, along with the one linked up with the observatory in Chile, are not affected by changes in weather but operate normally, so we end up working all year round.

career - a job that a person does for much of their life (See Wikipedia)
pursue - to work at something or carry it out ทำให้ลุล่วง to try to achieve something ดำเนินตาม, พยายามเพื่อให้ได้มาซึ่ง
pursue a career - start and work at a career
career path - the series of related jobs that have more responsibilities and are more difficult, that a person has during their career in some area
payment range - two amounts of money that a person's possible salary is between
scholarship - paying money to help children to go to school
land - to get or achieve something good, especially in a way which seems easy or unexpected ได้รับ
land a scholarship - get a scholarship
a field of research - a special area of research
competency - something you know how to do ( learned how to do and are qualified to do)
promoted - moved to a higher position in the organization; when your organization puts you in a better job (because you worked well at your job)
salary - a fixed amount of money that you earn each month or year from your job เงินเดือน
welfare - 1. extra things in addition to salary given by an organization to employees such as medical insurance สวัสดิภาพ; 2. good care and living conditions for animals ความสะดวกสบาย, ความมีสุขภาพด

If I land a scholarship, I would want to pursue a career in the field of research. Depending on my competency, I could be promoted and become a chief or director in my chosen field. My salary is around 20,000 baht per month, plus welfare such as medical care, etc.

chance - opportunity
get a chance to - get an opportunity to do something (the situation is right to do somethign you want to do)

What is fun about the job?  I get a chance to see stars, that is I what I love.

memory (noun)
memorable (adjective)
experience - things and activities that you did
memorable experiences - things that you did that you remember because they were so nice  

on the job - while you are working; during work time
memorable experiences on the job - interesting things that happened while you were working (that are easy to remember)

meteor - a large object that flies through outer space (See Wikipedia)
meteorite - a meteor that hits the earth's surface (See Wikipedia)
witness - see something happen (for yourself, not someone else describing)
witness meteorites - see a meteorite cross the sky

satellite - an object with equipment in it (communications technology, cameras, etc) that goes around and around the earth (See Wikipedia) 
see an odd satellite -  see a satellite sometimes, every so often (not a lot, just occasionally, not frequent or common)

viewfinder - the thing on a telescope that you look through with your eye to see the sky

I have not experienced anything exciting so far. Indeed, stars change very slowly. But someone lucky may have witnessed meteorites hitting the moon with his own eyes. For me, the most exciting thing has been accidentally seeing the odd satellite moving into the viewfinder. The best part of my career so far is the chance I have to watch beautiful stars day and night.